Apparatus for controlling the size of gas flow openings in the heating walls of a coke oven

ABSTRACT

Regenerative coke oven batteries have heating walls with gas flow passages through transverse flue walls for the flow of gas between adjacent flues. During operation of the coke oven battery, the flow of gas through the passages in the flue walls is regulated for optimum heating of the carbonaceous material in the coke oven chamber. A cylindrically shaped damper brick formed of a refractory material is suitably supported adjacent to an opening in the passage and is rolled in preselected spaced relation to the passageway to regulate the size of the opening. The cylindrically shaped damper brick has a plurality of spaced notch-like recesses around the peripherally thereof to facilitate rotation of the damper brick on the support. The support for the damper brick includes a plurality of semi-cylindrical recessed portions spaced at predetermined distances in which the cylindrical damper brick may be positioned to control, with precision, the size of the flow opening. The flue wall has a plurality of horizontal passageways at different elevations that connect adjacent flues and regulate the height at which the gas flows from one flue to the adjacent flue. Support means extend horizontally within one of the flues at the same elevation as the respective passageways. Cylindrical refractory bricks are positioned on the supporting means and are arranged to be rolled into the passages in the flue wall. The passageways each have a transverse arcuate recessed portion for maintaining the cylindrical damper brick within the passageway.

United States Patent 51 ,661,720

Jakobi [451 May 9, 1972 [54] APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING THE Primary Examiner-Wilbur L. Bascomb, Jr.

SIZE OF GAS FLOW OPENINGS IN THE HEATING WALLS OF A COKE OVEN Assistant Examiner-David Edwards Attorney-Stanley J. Price, Jr.

[57] ABSTRACT Regenerative coke oven batteries have heating walls with gas flow passages through transverse flue walls for the flow of gas between adjacent flues. During operation of the coke oven battery, the flow of gas through the passages in the flue walls is regulated for optimum heating of the carbonaceous material in the coke oven chamber. A cylindricaliy shaped damper brick formed of a refractory material is suitably supported adjacent to an opening in the passage and is rolled in preselected spaced relation to the passageway to regulate thesize of the opening. The cylindricaliy shaped damper brick has a plurality of spaced notch-like recesses around the peripherally thereof to facilitate rotation of the damper brick on the support. The support for the damper brick includes a plurality of semicylindrical recessed portions spaced at predetermined distances in which the cylindrical damper brick may be positioned to control, with precision, the size of the flow opening. The flue wall has a plurality of horizontal passageways at different elevations that connect adjacent flues and regulate the height at which the gas flows from one flue to the adjacent flue. Support means extend horizontally within one of the flues at the same elevation as the respective passageways. Cylindrical refractory bricks are positioned on the supporting means and are arranged to be rolled into the passages in the flue wall. The passageways each have a transverse arcuate recessed portion for maintaining the cylindrical damper brick within the passageway.

10 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING THE SIZE OF GAS FLOW OPENINGS IN THE HEATING WALLS OF A COKE OVEN BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to apparatus for controlling the size of a gas flow opening in the walls of coke oven heating chambers and more particularly to a cylindrically shaped damper brick that is arranged to be rolled toward and away from a gas flow passageway in the wall of a coke oven heating chamber.

2. Description of the Prior Art Regenerative coke oven batteries have a pair of heating chambers on opposite sides of the coke oven chamber. The heating chambers have transverse flue walls that divide the heating chamber into a plurality of separate vertical flues. The flues in the respective heating chambers on opposite sides of the coke oven chamber may be connected in a number of different fashions to circulate the products of combustion from the on flue or flues to the off flue or flues. The hairpin type oven for example, connects one flue with the adjacent flue in the same heating chamber so that the on flue is adjacent to the off flue and the products of combustion flow upwardly through the on flue, through a horizontal passageway or passageways into the adjacent off flue and then downwardly through the off flue to the regenerator therebelow. The hairpin type flues are illustrated and described in US. Pat. Nos. 2,845,385 and 3,431,177.

As is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 2,845,385, passageways are provided in the flue walls adjacent the base of the heating wall to permit recirculation of a portion of the products of combustion from the off flue to the on flue to thereby dilute the combustion gases in the on flue. It is desirable for optimum oven operation to adjust the flow of gas through the respective passageways between the adjacent flues. In the past, the flow of gas through the passageways was regulated or controlled by means of sliding bricks similar to the sliding bricks illustrated in US. Pat. No. 2,100,762. The bricks are moved horizontally by sliding on a support means into the desired position within the respective flues by means of a long rod that extends down the flue from the top of the oven.

The known sliding bricks are relatively heavy and are difficult to move with the long adjusting rods. It is also difficult to position the bricks within the flue with any degree of precision to accurately control the volume of gas flowing through the passageway regulated by the sliding brick. Recently, ovens having a height of feet or more increase the above discussed problems because of the added length of the actuatin g rods. There is a need for apparatus to easily and accurately adjust the flow of gases through the passageways of a coke oven heating chamber wall.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The hereinafter described invention is directed to a damper for controlling the flow of gas through a passageway in a coke oven flue wall and includes a refractory damper brick that has a generally cylindrical configuration with a cylindrical outer surface. Support means are arranged within the flue adjacent the gas flow passageway and the damper brick is positioned on the support means in a substantially horizontal plane. The cylindrically shaped damper brick is arrange to roll toward and away from the flue wall passageway and thus control the size of the opening between the flue wall passageway and the periphery of the damper brick to control the flow of gas therethrough. The support means has a plurality of recessed portions in which the refractory damper brick is arranged to be positioned to thus control with precision the opening for the flow of gas from one flue to the adjacent flue. The periphery of the damper brick is provided with a plurality of spaced notch-like recesses to provide an engaging means for the operating rod. Also, where desired, the refractory brick may be fabricated as a hollow member for easier and simpler manipulation.

The damper brick above described may also be employed in the passages adjacent the heating wall roof between adjacent flues through which the gas flow is reversed from an upward flow to a downward flow. Where there are a plurality of passageways at difierent elevations, corresponding supporting means extend horizontally within one of the flues at the same elevation and cylindrically shaped damper bricks are positioned on each of the supporting means. To close the passageway the damper bricks are rolled along the supporting means into the passageway where a recessed portion is provided for the brick.

The principal feature of this invention is to provide a damper for controlling the flow of gas through a passageway in a coke oven flue wall that is easily adjusted by rolling.

Another feature of this invention is to provide a damper for controlling the flow of gas through a passageway in which the damper may be positioned with precision to accurately control the flow of gas through the respective passageway.

These and other features and advantages of this invention will be more completely disclosed and .described in the following specification, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a fragmentary sectional plan view of a pair of adjacent flues illustrating the gas flow passageways therebetween with the cylindrical damper bricks positioned therein.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view in end elevation taken along the line II-II of FIG. 3 illustrating the flue wall with the gas glow passageways therethrough and one of the cylindrical damper bricks.

FIG. 3 is a view in section and side elevation taken along the line III-III of FIG. 1 illustrating the pair of adjacent flues with the cylindrical damper brick closing a passageway between adjacent flues.

FIG. 4 is a view in side elevation and section of a heating chamber illustrating the pair of horizontal passageways between adjacent flues and the cylindrical damper bricks controlling flow through said respective passageways.

FIG. 5 is a view in section taken along the line V-V of FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings and particularly FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, there is illustrated a heating chamber generally designated by the numeral 10 that has a plurality of transverse flue walls 12 forming a plurality of vertical flues 14 and 16 in the respective heating wall 10. The flues 14 and 16 have gas supply nozzles 18 and openings 20 into the regenerators therebeneath. Each of the flues have a floor or base portion 22 and the flue wall 12 has a pair of openings or passageways 24 and 26 therethrough.

The passageways 24 and 26 are arranged to permit the flow of combustion gas from one flue to the other. For example, if the flue 14 were the 011+ flue, that is, combustion were taking place in flue 14, the gaseous products of combustion flow upwardly in flue l4 and downwardly in the adjacent off flue 16. The gaseous products of combustion would flow downwardly in the off" flue 16 through the opening 20 into the regenerators therebelow. A portion of the gaseous products of combustion would flow horizontally through the passageways 24 and 26 into the on flue 14 where the gaseous products of combustion would mix with the air flowing upwardly from the regenerator through passageway 20.

It is essential that the volume of gas flowing from one of the vertical flues to the adjacent companion flue be controlled and regulated for optimum oven performance under different conditions.

A substantially cylindrical damper brick generally designated by the numeral 28 is positioned in the flues 14 and 16 adjacent to the passageways 24 and 26. The cylindrical damper bricks have a longitudinal axis 30, a pair of end walls 32 and 34 and an outer cylindrical peripheral surface 36. A plurality of spaced notch-like recesses 38 are formed in the cylindrical periphery 36 between the end walls 32 and 34. Although the cylindrical damper brick 28 is illustrated as being solid, it should be understood that the cylindrical damper brick may be hollow to facilitate rolling of the brick within the flue. The cylindrical damper brick has a length between end walls 32 and 34 slightly smaller than the width of the respective passageways 24 and 26 so that a portion of the cylindrical damper brick 28 extends into the respective passageways 24 or 26.

The floor 22 of the respective flues l4 and 16 provide a support means for the cylindrical brick 28. An elongated recess 40 is formed in the floor 22 and has a plurality of arcuate surfaces 42, 44, and 46. The width of the recess 40 is substantially the same as the width of the respective passageway 24 or 26 and form both a support and a guide means for the refractory bricks 28. The arcuate recesses 42, 44 and 46 have substantially the same configuration as a segment of the cylindrical damper brick 28 so that the damper brick 28 remains in any one of the recesses after being positioned at that location.

With this arrangement an actuating rod extending downwardly into the flue engages one of the recessed notches 38 in the peripheral surface of the refractory brick 28 and lateral movement of the rod will roll the cylindrical damper brick 28 toward or away from the respective passageway 24 or 26 to thus control the size of the passageway opening. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 1, both of the cylindrical damper bricks 28 are positioned in the respective arcuate recessed portions 42 to completely close the passageways 24 and 26. Where it is desired to partially open one of the passageways, the notch 38 in the refractory brick peripheral surface 36 is engaged by the rod and the refractory brick 28 is rotated through a portion of a revolution until the peripheral surface rests in the recessed portion 44. This provides a partial opening for the transverse passageway 24 or 26. To completely open the passageway 26, the refractory damper brick 28 is rolled further away from the passageway until it is positioned in the recessed portion 46. It will be apparent with this type of cylindrical refractory brick that it is now possible to control the size of the opening from the passageways 24 or 26 with precision and little effort is required to rotate the damper bricks in the recessed portion of floor 22.

The passageways 24 and 26 are elongated and have a longitudinal axis 48 and the height of the passageways 24 and 26 is less than the diameter of the cylindrical refractory damper bricks 28, as is illustrated in FIG. 3, so that the cylindrical bricks 28 can not roll into the passageways 24 or 26 and the cylindrical bricks 28 are of sufficient height to close the openings in the passageways 24 and 26.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and a heating wall or chamber generally designated by the numeral 50 is illustrated positioned between a pair of coke oven chambers 52 and 54. The heating chamber 50 has a plurality of spaced transverse flue walls 56, 58, 60, 62 and 64, as illustrated in FIG. 4. The vertical walls 56, 58, 60, 62 and 64 divide the heating chamber 50 into a plurality of vertical flues 66, 68, 70, 72 and 74. The flue walls 58 and 62 have passageways 76 therethrough adjacent the lower portion of the heating chamber that are similar to the passageways 24 and 26 described previously in reference to FIGS. 1-3. The heating chamber has a top wall 78 with a plurality of vertical passageways 80 each extending into the vertical flues therebeneath. Suitable covers 82 are positioned in the passageways 80 on the battery roof 84 to confine the gaseous products of combustion within the heating chamber. Alternate flue walls, i.e. flue walls 56, 60 and 64 extend upwardly into abutting relation with and join the top wall 78. The other alternate flue walls 58 and 62 have a plurality of passageways 86 and 88 therethrough at different elevations in the heating chamber 50. The passageways 86 and 88 are arranged to permit the products of combustion to flow from the "on flue to the off" flue.

It is desirable, depending on the height of the coal charge in the coking chambers, to limit the height at which the products of combustion flow horizontally through the respective passageways 86 or 88. The passageways 86 and 88 each has a transverse arcuate recessed portion 90 and 92 in which a cylindrical damper brick 28 having a configuration substantially the same as the damper brick described in reference to FIGS. l-3 is positioned. The vertical flue walls 56 and 58 have laterally extending ledge portions 94 and 96 at substantially the same elevation as the passageways 86 and 88 in the adjacent flue walls 58 and 62 with upturned shoulders 98 for maintaining the cylindrical damper brick 28 adjacent to the wall 56 or 60 and thus maintain the respective opposite passage in the other vertical flue wall 58 and 62 open.

As illustrated in FIG. 5 the heating walls have inwardly extending shoulders 100 and 102 on which the edges of the cylindrical refractory brick damper are positioned to permit the cylindrical damper to roll from the position on the ledge 94 for example, to the recessed portion 90 in the passageway 86. With this arrangement, as illustrated in FIG. 4, it is now possible to quickly and accurately open and/or close the horizontal passageways located at different elevations in the flue walls by simply rolling the cylindrical damper bricks 28 along the shoulders 100 and 102. In FIG. 4, for example, the upper passageway 86 is closed by the cylindrical damper brick 28 while the passageway 88 is open so that the products of combustion flow as illustrated in FIG. 4 between flues 66 and 68.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, the principle, preferred construction and mode of operation of the invention have been explained, and what is considered to represent its best embodiment has been illustrated and described. However, it should be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

I claim:

1. A dampener for controlling the flow of gas through a passageway in a coke oven flue wall comprising,

a damper brick having a generally cylindrical configuration with an outer cylindrical surface,

support means in said flue adjacent to a gas flow passageway in a flue wall, said support means having an arcuate recessed portion,

said damper brick positioned on said support means in a substantially horizontal plane and arranged to roll toward and away from said flue wall passageway and into and out of said recessed portion of said support means to thereby control the size of the opening between the flue wall passageway and the damper brick for the flow of gas therethrough, and

said damper brick positioned in said support means recessed portion for substantially closing said flue wall passageway.

2. A damper for controlling the flow of gas through a passageway as set forth in claim 1 in which,

said passageway having a longitudinal axis,

said damper brick having a longitudinal axis, and

said damper brick positioned on said support means with said longitudinal axis substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said passageway.

3. A damper for controlling the flow of gas through a passageway as set forth in claim 1 in which,

said damper brick on said support means extending vertically to a height greater than the height of said passageway so that said damper brick is operable to substantially close the opening in said passageway.

4. A damper for controlling the flow of gas through a passageway as set forth in claim 1 in which,

said support means includes a plurality of spaced arcuate recessed portions adjacent to said flue wall,

said damper brick arranged to be positioned in any of said recessed portions to thereby control the size of the opening in said flue wall.

5. A damper for controlling the flow of gas through a passageway as set forth in claim 1 in which,

said damper brick cylindrical outer surface including a plurality of spaced notch-like recessed portions therein for receiving an end of an actuator bar for rolling said damper brick toward and away from said flue wall.

6. A damper for controlling the flow of gas through a passageway as set forth in claim 1 in which,

said damper brick has a pair of substantially vertical end walls,

said gas flow passageway having a top wall, a pair of side walls, and a bottom wall,

said damper brick having a length between said end wall substantially the same as the width of said passageway between said side walls so that said damper brick substantially fills said passageway and limits the flow of gas therethrough.

7. A damper for controlling the flow of gas through a passageway as set forth in claim 1 in which,

said flue wall includes a first gas flow passageway adjacent the roof of the heating wall and a second gas flow passageway through said flue wall at a location spaced below said first gas flow passageway,

a pair of separate support means in said flue extending horizontally from each of said passageways, and

a pair of separate damper bricks supported on said respective support means and arranged to roll toward and away from said respective passageway to control the flow of gas therethrough. 8. A damper for controlling the flow of gas through a passageway as set forth in claim 7 in which,

the vertical height of said passageways is greater than the diameter of said damper bricks and said damper bricks are arranged to be rolled into said passageways to control the flow of gas therethrough. 9. A damper for controlling the flow of gas through a passageway as set forth in claim 8 in which,

said passageways have an arcuate recessed portion therein for receiving and maintaining said damper bricks within said passageways. 10. A damper for controlling the flow of gas through a passageway as set forth in claim 1 in which,

said flue includes a plurality of gas flow passageways in a flue wall at different elevations to permit the flow of gas from one flue to the adjacent flue on the opposite side of said flue wall, said flues having a plurality of support means extending horizontally from said flue wall at the elevations of said passageways, and separate damper bricks supported on said support means and arranged to roll toward and away from said respective passageway to control the flow of gas therethrough. 

1. A dampener for controlling the flow of gas through a passageway in a coke oven flue wall comprising, a damper brick having a generally cylindrical configuration with an outer cylindrical surface, support means in said flue adjacent to a gas flow passageway in a flue wall, said support means having an arcuate recessed portion, said damper brick positioned on said support means in a substantially horizontal plane and arranged to roll toward and away from said flue wall passageway and into and out of said recessed portion of said support means to thereby control the size of the opening between the flue wall passageway and the damper brick for the flow of gas therethrough, and said damper brick positioned in said support means recessed portion for substantially closing said flue wall passageway.
 2. A damper for controlling the flow of gas through a passageway as set forth in claim 1 in which, said passageway having a longitudinal axis, said damper brick having a longitudinal axis, and said damper brick positioned on said support means with said longitudinal axis substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said passageway.
 3. A damper for controlling the flow of gas through a passageway as set forth in claim 1 in which, said damper brick on said support means extending vertically to a height greater than the height of said passageway so that said damper brick is operable to substantially close the opening in said passageway.
 4. A damper for controlling the flow of gas through a passageway as set forth in claim 1 in which, said support means includes a plurality of spaced arcuate recessed portions adjacent to said flue wall, said damper brick arranged to be positioned in any of said recessed portions to thereby control the size of the opening in said flue wall.
 5. A damper for controlling the flow of gas through a passageway as set forth in claim 1 in which, said damper brick cylindrical outer surface including a plurality of spaced notch-like recessed portions therein for receiving an end of an actuator bar for rolling said damper brick toward and away from said flue wall.
 6. A damper for controlling the flow of gas through a passageway as set forth in claim 1 in which, said damper brick has a pair of substantially vertical end walls, said gas flow passageway having a top wall, a pair of side walls, and a bottom wall, said damper brick having a length between said end wall substantially the same as the width of said passageway between said side walls so that said damper brick substantially fills said passageway and limits the flow of gas therethrough.
 7. A damper for controlling the flow of gas through a passageway as set forth in claim 1 in which, said flue wall includes a first gas flow passageway adjacent the roof of the heating wall and a second gas flow passageway through said flue wall at a location spaced below said first gas flow passageway, a pair of separate support means in said flue extending horizontally from each of said passageways, and a pair of separate damper bricks supported on said respective support means and arranged to roll toward and away from said respective passageway to control the flow of gas therethrough.
 8. A damper for controlling the flow of gas through a passageway as set forth in claim 7 in which, the vertical height of said passageways is greater than the diameter of said damper bricks and said damper bricks are arranged to be rolled into said passageways to control The flow of gas therethrough.
 9. A damper for controlling the flow of gas through a passageway as set forth in claim 8 in which, said passageways have an arcuate recessed portion therein for receiving and maintaining said damper bricks within said passageways.
 10. A damper for controlling the flow of gas through a passageway as set forth in claim 1 in which, said flue includes a plurality of gas flow passageways in a flue wall at different elevations to permit the flow of gas from one flue to the adjacent flue on the opposite side of said flue wall, said flues having a plurality of support means extending horizontally from said flue wall at the elevations of said passageways, and separate damper bricks supported on said support means and arranged to roll toward and away from said respective passageway to control the flow of gas therethrough. 